Spoils of war
by Fate4Destiny
Summary: Takes place when Unohana was cpt. of the 11th. Ukitake x Unohana (eventual) All Unohana wanted was one thing. So why did she take an interest in him? Rated M for blood, etc.


**Pairing: Ukitake x Unohana (or that's the plan)**

**Disclaimer: spoilers for new mange chapters. About 520 to 526 (so far)**

**Warnings: blood**

**Timeline: When Ukitake is more or less a new recruit, approx. 2 thousand years ago. **

**A/N: the irony to Unohana being who she is. And I had so many stories of her and Ukitake and Shunsui growing up together and attending the academy. Agh...**

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The ground was slick in blood, the smell of rotting flesh filled the air, and the fleshy remains of bodies were still warm. There was ten or so beings still alive on the rocky and dead plains. But there were hundreds dead.

Jūshirō Ukitake wasn't fazed by the blood, nor was it the death. What made him gulp was the fact these people meant NOTHING. Not only was their life taken, but for no reason. Not even personal pleasure. It was meaningless, and he watched each fall without being able to look away.

Eventually he lifted his thin hands and covered his eyes, trying to take a deep breath in without gagging at the smell. He truly hadn't expected this as a shinigami. He graduated top of his class, was loved already among his division, but out here he was worthless. He couldn't save a single soul which fell. His sins had already piled up upon the dozens. To find the one who'd strike back for the captain of the eleventh division. To find the one that would keep her occupied and pleased. Ukitake already knew it was a lost cause.

He tried to keep his eyes steady as he scanned the surrounding area. Just find somebody, somebody who won't be cut down so easily. The lines from is superiors ran through his head like a mantra, and took over of his thoughts. This was the Gotei 13, ruthless, blood-thirsty killers. This is what your only options were, Jūshirō. So just keep looking until you find it. Until you find them. Keep looking. It's what you have to do.

Ukitake didn't wince anymore as his feet snapped a brittle bone. He was surprised his weight had done that though and quickly exchanged his weight to another foot. He glanced behind his head to see his other superiors- as he was still quite low ranking- doing the same as him. Searching.

The captain of the eleventh division suddenly turned towards him and Ukitake quickly spun back around. He began searching quicker for a survivor. Those dull, dark eyes saw through all the distance between them and made him give a slight shiver.

He absentmindedly brushed his hair behind his ear. He was growing it out and it currently reached right above his shoulders. As he did so his green eyes flickered over the red and black which sketched their surrounding area. He tried not to think upon how merely a day ago it was filled with people of full assortments. He had a job to do. Search. Search and kill.

When he came across a survivor he unsheathed his zanpakutō like many times before. They never taught you what to do when you had to kill an innocent soul at the academy, he thought sadly. No, why worry the ones who would never have to do such an act?

The tip of his sharp blade easily cut through the ragged clothing on the man's chest. Without a single extra breath, the sword plunged in deeply. He pulled it out, flicked it to get the blood off like he had seen others do, and sheathe it again. He began walking away, fresh blood of innocence on his blade as the man sputtered blood in his still slow death.

Once he was away from any and all other sounds he let his breath escape. It came surely then slowly wavered at the end. It was silent. As this sunk in he slowly turned around. Was he being forgotten? There was always the occasional sound of bone crunching or the strangled cries of their freshest victim.

"Why did you stop? It's a game".

"Sorry, sir."

Ukitake snapped back to attention and expected to meet the stern gaze of one of his superiors but instead he saw nothing.

"Pardon me, is anybody around?"

Ukitake spun around in a full circle but saw nobody. As a last resort he went around a pile of bodies until he heard the voice again.

"Come on, play. Find him. It's hide and seek."

"Hide and seek? I don't understand. Who's him? Sir?"

Ukitake glanced behind his shoulders but still saw no one. He eventually gripped the hilt of his zanpakutō then felt an odd feeling resonate from it. As if a steady flow of spiritual pressure connected them. And the oddest of it all, he could taste salt on his lips. Not just salt of blood, but sea salt. And still nobody was there.

He began quickly walking away, his hand unmoving from his zanpakutō. It felt simply wrong not having it there. His feet gave low leaps over bodies, his hair flowing slightly behind him by dry air. A few strands covered his eyes and as he tried to brush them away it was as if his fingers tingled with an electrical charge.

He clenched his hand, having it already centred around his zanpakutō's hilt. In a quick motion he unsheathed it and turned around.

Before he could face anybody he felt something harshly smack into his stomach. Specks of blood flew from his mouth from a previous coughing fit and he looked at whoever it was.

As his eyes focused on a messy and thin looking boy with black hair standing in whichever way, Ukitake let out a small sigh. It was just a child. There'd be no problems.

"Jūshirō, you found him~ now finish the game."

The strange voice ended with a giggle, making Ukitake begin to think it came from a much younger speaker. The boy in front of him did mot speak but instead prepared to hit him again. He was strong, motivated, and powerful. But he still didn't have any tactical training. And that was where Ukitake beat him.

Ukitake swung his sword down and in a clean move the piece of wood was cut cleanly in two. Perhaps this wasn't the best move. Suddenly, Ukitake found that he had two sharp objects pointed at him instead of one blunt.

He felt his blade become two and he pulled them apart, ready for a dual match. He watched the child go first. Ukitake punctured his chest quickly and effectively. He expected the child to go down, hence why he caught the boy before he fell.

"Don't like him. Just play~"

The advice was too late and suddenly Ukitake felt something sharp travel straight through his body. He bowed his head and fell to his knees, his mouth leaking blood.

Ukirake wiped it away with the back of his sleeve and gripped his zanpakutō. His breath wavered slightly as he uttered a quick kidō. The child was bonded in place and Ukitake let himself sink to the ground, mixing his sickly blood with all others.

"Get up and play~"

"Who are you?"

The words hardly left his lips as he felt the wood still between a set of ribs. Looking up, he noticed a small shape with hair shining in the dull light. His head spun and his vision blurred tok much too see much more. He faintly agreed to himself that he must have seen double as he blacked out.


End file.
